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Wild And FSN North Announce "Hockey Day Minnesota"

by
Staff Writer
/ Minnesota Wild

Baudette Bay will be the site of an outdoor game between Lake of the Woods and St. Paul Johnson as part of Hockey Day Minnesota on January 20. Click here to visit the Baudette Bay Hockey Classic Web site.

Attention all Minnesota hockey fans:

Get your morning skate in early the morning of Saturday, January 20, 2007. Beginning at noon, you’ve got a date with your couch and television set for the rest of the day.

The Minnesota Wild and FSN North have proclaimed January 20 as “Hockey Day Minnesota,” and 11 consecutive hours of hockey will be shown, highlighting the game from peewees to the pros. Three games at three different levels – St. Paul Johnson high school at Lake of the Woods high school at 1:00 PM, Denver University at the University of Minnesota at 5:30 PM and the Dallas Stars at the Minnesota Wild at 8:00 PM – will highlight the day.

FSN North’s Anthony LaPanta will man the desk for all 11 hours at the Xcel Energy Center, which will serve as home base for the day. LaPanta will interview numerous special guests and introduce unique hockey-related features and vignettes.

“This is a great example of the strength of our commitment to the Minnesota Wild, the University of Minnesota, and the entire sport of hockey,” said FSN North Vice President and General Manager Mike Dimond. “Taking a day to celebrate hockey on all levels is an excellent opportunity to offer viewers a truly unique televised experience.”

The high school game between Lake of the Woods and St. Paul Johnson will be played outdoors on Baudette Bay. The college game between Denver and Minnesota features the winners of four of the last five NCAA National Championships. The professional game between Dallas and Minnesota offers a look at the State of Hockey’s present against its past, the former Minnesota North Stars.

“Hockey in Minnesota is special because of the passion people have for it statewide at so many different levels,” said Mark Jorgensen, the executive director of Minnesota Hockey. “This day will be a celebration of that, and a snapshot of how special hockey is in Minnesota.”

Extensive coverage leading up to and during the entire unprecedented event will be available on Wild.com and Minnesota Wild PONDcasts.

“Hockey fans here deserve an event of this stature,” said Wild Executive Vice President Matt Majka. “We’re pleased Xcel Energy Center and the Minnesota Wild will be able to play a role in it.”

A more detailed programming schedule will be released at a later date.